Politics hates a vacuum. If it isn't filled with hope, someone will fill it with fear.
A new bubble will replace the old one. A new technology will come along to fix the messes we made with the last one. In a way, that is the story of the settling of the Americas, the supposedly inexhaustible frontier to which Europeans escaped.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote reflects on the cyclical nature of technology and society, suggesting that new innovations emerge to address the failures of previous ones.
Naomi Klein emphasizes the idea that each wave of technological advancement often arises as a response to the challenges and 'messes' created by its predecessors. This pattern can be seen throughout history, including the settlement of the Americas, where new opportunities emerged alongside the complications of prior actions, signifying an ongoing cycle of creation and resolution.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a tech conference, when discussing the future of innovation, one could quote this to highlight the necessity of addressing past technological failures.
More from Naomi Klein
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In the face of technology, everything becomes a little atavistic.
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We're at the point now where the challenge isn't how to communicate effectively with e-mail; it's ensuring that you spend your time on the e-mail that matters most.
There's a popular saying that the Internet interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. Desire and innovation will trump policy, the argument goes, as clever programmers circumvent controls.
If people keep buying poorly designed products, manufacturers and designers will think they are doing the right thing and continue as usual.